Beckham comes to L.A.

David Beckham just signed a contract with the L.A. Galaxy of MLS for $250 million over 5 years. As a soccer fan and supporter of the MLS I recieve this news with guarded optimism. It should be a great draw for the league but I still have yet to read where this small soccer league is going to find 50 mill a year to pay this guy. Unless they think he's going to generate that in future revenue. What do you guys think? And will this move cause you non-soccer fans to tune in or attend a game?

Most of his salary will come through advertising endorsment deals. He doesn't have the "brand value" in the US market that he does in Europe, or did in Asia, so they'll have to build his image from the ground up.

Marketing can sell a country full of shopping-crazy suckers just about anything, but I'm not sure how a thin, blond, inarticulate and tatooed pretty boy who doesn't sing or dance or act, but merely kicks a ball playing in the 24th most popular sport in the US (well behind the "sport" of poker), is gonna pull it off. Guess they'll have him selling all sorts of crap, just like he and his skeletor-like wife did in Japan (you guys are lucky you didn't see that, and I don't want to live through it again, so I think I'll stay here for another five years;-))

The fact is that he's not all that good anymore. He's past his best, kicked out of the England team, couldn't buy a game for Real Madrid with all the money in the world.

I was reading his stats for Madrid in the paper today and has scored 7 goals in 63 matches! That's what? 0.11 goals per game?

I don't think he's going to America as he is a great player that can win silverware for the L.A. Galaxy, I think he's going there to get some exposure for the league and to capture the fans imagination.

what a waste. despite what people could think he is still a great player with a great heart. im not a real madrid fan (far from it) but im sad he escapes from europe to play in a minor league.
money can do crappy stuff.

what a waste. despite what people could think he is still a great player with a great heart. im not a real madrid fan (far from it) but im sad he escapes from europe to play in a minor league.
money can do crappy stuff.

The fact is that he's not all that good anymore. He's past his best, kicked out of the England team, couldn't buy a game for Real Madrid with all the money in the world.

I was reading his stats for Madrid in the paper today and has scored 7 goals in 63 matches! That's what? 0.11 goals per game?

I don't think he's going to America as he is a great player that can win silverware for the L.A. Galaxy, I think he's going there to get some exposure for the league and to capture the fans imagination.

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disagree.
"soccer" will never make it in the US. they´ve already tried it hard before and after the 94 WC. as i posted before, he is still a fantastic player. but even if he leads the galaxy to a cham or 2, theres absolutely no glory in it for a player like him.

disagree.
"soccer" will never make it in the US. they´ve already tried it hard before and after the 94 WC. as i posted before, he is still a fantastic player. but even if he leads the galaxy to a cham or 2, theres absolutely no glory in it for a player like him.

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He was an ok player when he left Man Utd but after his first season at Real Madrid he became a bit of a liability. His goal scoring ratio is pretty poor and most of the 7 goals that he did score were free kicks. He is a good team player and will no doubt inspire the players that he plays with. I think his football school in LA was a big factor in binging him to America, especially with the board members at L.A. Galaxy being involved in some way or another with the school

I do agree about America being past the stage of embracing football. If a World Cup is not enough to ignite passion for the game then nothing is!

He was an ok player when he left Man Utd but after his first season at Real Madrid he became a bit of a liability. His goal scoring ratio is pretty poor and most of the 7 goals that he did score were free kicks.

I do agree about America being past the stage of embracing football. If a World Cup is not enough to ignite passion for the game then nothing is!

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oh, please feña. if u were a coach, what would u want beckham for? scoring? cmon. statistics like goal average in football are worhtless (except, MAYBE, for a striker).

oh, please feña. if u were a coach, what would u want beckham for? scoring? cmon. statistics like goal average in football are worhtless (except, MAYBE, for a striker).

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Of course i'd want him for scoring. The reason why teams like Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona etc. are successful is that the whole team contribute with goals. Whether it's Ronaldinho, Lampard, Robben, C. Ronaldo, Terry, Essien, Kaka they have to contribute.

Ronaldo has 12 goals already this season, Lampard has 7. Beckham has probably only score 3-4 goals from outfield play in his time at Real Madrid, you think Real Madrid would of accepted that ratio when they brought him? I doubt it.

If my memory doesnt fail me The US soccer brought PELE to the COSMOS and alot of stars back in the 70"s, it didnt work

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It didn't work then because they had an oligarchy of a league where all the revenue for all the teams was coming from the Cosmos. It was successful for a while. They were selling out giants stadium ever game, but when that team went bankrupt because of bad management the league went with it. I thought MLS had learned from the mistakes of the NASL but this Beckham deal makes it look like they're puttin all their chips in one pot again.

Of course i'd want him for scoring. The reason why teams like Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona etc. are successful is that the whole team contribute with goals. Whether it's Ronaldinho, Lampard, Robben, C. Ronaldo, Terry, Essien, Kaka they have to contribute.

Ronaldo has 12 goals already this season, Lampard has 7. Beckham has probably only score 3-4 goals from outfield play in his time at Real Madrid, you think Real Madrid would of accepted that ratio when they brought him? I doubt it.

What do you want Beckham for? To break up play and be a holding man?

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it depends on the strategy. on real madrid current structure (and past couple of seasons) i wouldn make him play like in Man.Utd, like a semi-winger. The last pure "holding man" at RM was Makelelé. All the guys at the RM midfield could play nice football and know/knew how to treat the ball.
The best performance for him is to be more a playmaker than an attacking mid.
And more: your comparison is not accurate, you r talking about lampard, who is a genious. the other players u named are way more offensive than beckham.

It didn't work then because they had an oligarchy of a league where all the revenue for all the teams was coming from the Cosmos. It was successful for a while. They were selling out giants stadium ever game, but when that team went bankrupt because of bad management the league went with it. I thought MLS had learned from the mistakes of the NASL but this Beckham deal makes it look like they're puttin all their chips in one pot again.

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True, NASL failed, but at the time there were almost no youth soccer programs in the USA, now it's probably the most popular youth sport. Even though it's fashionable to bash the US national team, you have to admit that they are better than they were 30 years ago, and the US women are among the best in the world, so maybe NASL did help in some ways.

True, NASL failed, but at the time there were almost no youth soccer programs in the USA, now it's probably the most popular youth sport. Even though it's fashionable to bash the US national team, you have to admit that they are better than they were 30 years ago, and the US women are among the best in the world, so maybe NASL did help in some ways.

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I agree whole-heartedly. I believe that soccer IS the biggest youth sport. I read a statistic that 3 times more kids play soccer than baseball now. Because of the NASL every kid knows the name Pele and a generation of American players who participated in NASL are now in administrative positions throughout U.S. Soccer.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for both MLS and Beckham. Alexei Lalas is no fool and they will sweat every dollar of their new asset out with merchandising, TV rights, etc etc.

I happen to think that football has big growth potential in the US due to the number of kids playing the game. Beckham is probably Championship (English 2nd tier) standard to and to use some football parlance will be over the moon at this move.

look im going to say it how it is the la galaxy and the rest of this sorry mls are not getting anything he is in his early 30's has not done anything since coming to real madrid didn't do anything for us in the world cup i will say though he is better than any player on that team though but not even worth 100 million why would a person who doesn't like or care for football(soccer) come to watch a game just because of a guy who is a star of that sport he would mean nothing to them

David Beckham just signed a contract with the L.A. Galaxy of MLS for $250 million over 5 years. As a soccer fan and supporter of the MLS I recieve this news with guarded optimism. It should be a great draw for the league but I still have yet to read where this small soccer league is going to find 50 mill a year to pay this guy. Unless they think he's going to generate that in future revenue. What do you guys think? And will this move cause you non-soccer fans to tune in or attend a game?

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its great he's playing here, the US needs improvement to their national soccer team (on the men's anyways) as well as their league (lets not even talk about Canada's... ). i cant wait to see him play.

and about the money, he will generate future revenue, b/c tons will pay to go see him, including me

also, does that $250 million include endorsements? cuz he is supposed to get a lot of endorsements.

edit: i just realized, that earning more than $961 000 a week sounds pretty good its just funny how he will be making the amount of money a rich person would earn in a year everyday (including holidays )... almost $137 000

It's an obscene amount of money, and for what? It's certainly not for being one of the world's supreme players. The guy was at his peak 6 years ago or something (not that he was ever one of the world's best.) Apart from his free kicks and passing skills, he's well past it. He's certainly no Thierry Henri or Ronaldinho. About the only thing him and his missus do excel at is shopping. So, yet again 'brand-Beckham' stands ready to earn even more astronomical sums of moolah, and yet again another country braces itself for the sophisticated tastes of Posh.

At last!!!He's getting the hell out of Europe!:twisted: Won't have to see him again in a CL game!! not that he played that often lately!!:mrgreen:
Never liked the guy and the money he earns every day!Jesus!
I am afraid though he will dissapoint the US fans..:neutral: don't except him to do that good to usa's football.Too bad.A strong football league in North America would be a great thing for this amazing sport.

I saw him on ET today saying how he wants to bring the sport to the US, it has nothing to do with money. Nothing to do with money. What's that smell? I think someone's blowin' a little smoke up our arses - please, 250m over 5 years? ALL it has to do with is money!! He could give a rat's ass about the enrichment of American sports. Too funny!!!

US fans? of Beckham?.... i'd say majority don't know who he is. saw a spot on the news where they took his mug out and asked people on the streets who he was. they knew him as well as most of the cabinet and congress here. which is ***blank stare***um, i dunno..... bets on how long until he shows up in a film or TV show?

At last!!!He's getting the hell out of Europe!:twisted: Won't have to see him again in a CL game!! not that he played that often lately!!
Never liked the guy and the money he earns every day!Jesus!
I am afraid though he will dissapoint the US fans..:neutral: don't except him to do that good to usa's football.Too bad.A strong football league in North America would be a great thing for this amazing sport.

I saw him on ET today saying how he wants to bring the sport to the US, it has nothing to do with money. Nothing to do with money. What's that smell? I think someone's blowin' a little smoke up our arses - please, 250m over 5 years? ALL it has to do with is money!! He could give a rat's ass about the enrichment of American sports. Too funny!!!

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Come on, you've never been that cynical CananianChica. Beckham has plenty of money. If it was all about the pay-off, he would have taken the easy route, signed with Madrid, and collected checks while he rode the bench. I personally don't think Beckham is made of pure capitalistic evil. I think he is has always been a great ambassedor for the sport. He works his ass off on the field (anyone who has watched him play knows this) is a humanitarian. Yeah, he's materialistic, but nobody's perfect.